Dublin's hospitals will be unable to cope with increased admissions this winter unless "urgent measures" are taken to deal with the acute bed shortage, the Labour Party said today.
The party's spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz McManus, blamed the Government's failure to implement its health strategy for yesterday's crisis at Beaumont and Mater hospitals, which led to both refusing admissions to its Accident and Emergency departments.
"The conditions we have been seeing over the past 24 hours, with up to 37 patients on trolleys in Beaumont and both the Mater and Beaumont being forced to go 'off call', were once only seen in the depths of winter, when there is normally an increase in respiratory conditions among the elderly. They are now becoming a year-round phenomenon," Ms McManus said.
She said the Government must implement its general election promise of 3,000 new beds for the health service. Instead, 500 beds have been closed since the Government took office last year.
Last evening, the two hospitals - both on Dublin's northside - ceased taking patients for around three hours due to lack of capacity. They were sent by ambulance to southside hospitals by ambulance.
Both hospitals are still dealing with the backlog of patients in its A&E wards this morning. It is estimated the backlog will take 24 to 48 hours to clear.